Abstracts  from  the  French  Journals.  99 
Peptone  and  Syntonin  by  Chemical  Reaction. — According 
to  Mr.  A.  Clermont  (Comptes  rend.;  Arch,  de  Phar.,  January  5, 
1888),  peptones  may  be  made  to  have  a  nutritive  as  well  as  a  digestive 
value.  To  make  simply  nutritive  peptones  he  mixes  20  gm.  of  hashed 
meat  with  30  gm.  of  water,  and  50  cgm.  of  sulphuric  acid  in  a  glass 
tube,  which  he  seals  and  heats  in  an  oil-bath  at  180°  C.  After  cool- 
ing^ the  tube  is  opened,  and  the  gaseous  products  go  off,  leaving  a  light- 
brown  liquid,  which  being  filtered  and  dried  (when  it  gives  off  am- 
moniacal  vapors),  is  dissolved  easily  in  water,  and  again  filtered.  The 
solution  thus  obtained  is  not  precipitated  by  boiling,  or  by  hydrochlo- 
ric, nitric  or  acetic  acids ;  a  sufficient  quantity  of  alcohol  throws  it 
down,  however,  as  also  tannin,  bichloride  of  mercury  and  chloride  of 
platinum.  The  product  was  4  gm.  of  peptone  for  20  gm.  of  fresh 
meat.  Repeating  the  experiment  without  sulphuric  acid,  syntonin 
was  obtained;  the  solution  filters  slowly,  and  gives  an  abundant  pre- 
cipitate with  nitric  acid.  In  slightly  acidulated  water,  syntonin 
easily  passes — under  the  influence  of  pepsin — into  a  peptone.  Cler- 
mont thinks  that  syntonin  would  be  of  great  value  in  cases  of  slow 
digestion. 
"  Sees  de  Morue.^' — M.  Langlebert,  a  Parsian  pharmacist,  has 
been  making  researches  upon  the  probable  therapeutic  value  of  baths 
composed  of  salt,  which  has  been  previously  used  in  fishing- vessels  for 
the  temporary  preservation  of  cod-fish.  He  finds  in  this  salt  (by  analy- 
sis), a  considerable  amount  of  azotized  material  in  the  forms  of  methyl- 
amine,  dimethylamine  and  trimetbylamine,  substances  which  have, 
according  to  the  author,  been  used  successfully  in  affections  such  as 
>^  chlorosis,  ansemia,  scrofulosis,  rachitis,  infantile  paralysis,  osseous  af- 
fections, rheumatism,  etc.  He  concludes,  therefore,  that  the  pres- 
ence of  these  substances  in  cod-fish  salt,  united  to  the  therapeutic- 
value  of  the  salt  itself,  offers  a  compound  worthy  of  the  consider- 
ation of  therapeutists. — Jour,  de  Phar.  et  de  Chim.,  January  1, 
1888. 
Action  of  Acids  and  Acid  Salts  Upon  Syr.  Aurant.  Amar. 
— Leprince,  a  Bourges  pharmacist,  points  out  that  however  carefully 
the  syrup  may  be  made,  it  always  contains  a  certain  amount  of  muci- 
lage which  is  liable  to  cause  the  solidification  of  a  preparation  with 
many  commonly  prescribed  medicaments,  especially  the  phosphates. 
He  recommends  that  the  syrup  be  made  wholly  from  the  alcoholic  ex- 
tract.   It  will  then,  though  retaining  all  of  its  taste  and  aroma,  re- 
